Paladin of the Dead God

Chapter 183:

Since the final negotiations had ended in failure, only war remained.

No one had expected the negotiations to succeed, and as it was considered mere formality, no one was disappointed. Except for Edelred, of course.

However, a king responsible for leading a war could not afford to be downhearted.

“Let’s try to end the war as quickly as possible.”

Edelred’s words were not empty; they aimed to find a way to minimize the damage on both sides. The idea of a quick decisive battle was also what Georg’s rebels wanted, even if they anticipated a different outcome.

However, a siege was the worst for a quick decisive battle. Usually, the attacking force needed three times more troops than the defending force. The common approach was to pile up a mountain of corpses to conquer the defenses.

Luckily, the followers of Elil had their own traditional and rational method of attack.

“A duel?”

“That’s right.”

Mors proposed a siege method involving a “duel.”

Each army would send out a representative each day to compete. The loser would bear shame and wounds, while the winner would claim glory and honor. This method was ideal for demoralizing the enemy while eliminating skilled opponents. In fact, if great swordsmen faced off in these duels, the outcome alone could decide the victor.

“It makes sense, given it’s the Kingdom of Elil.”

To anyone who wasn’t a follower of Elil, the idea would sound insane, but this was the Kingdom of Elil. Refusing or disregarding a duel would break the soldiers’ morale. The duels would be accepted, but there was an important condition attached to this strategy.

The allied forces had to win.

“Hmm. I’ve heard that the average skill level of the knights in Georg’s army is higher. Do we have enough knights to secure victories?”

“Frankly, no, we do not.”

Isaac was relieved that even though Mors often made odd statements, he didn’t have unrealistic expectations of their army. A general who valued his troops was a good general.

However, Hilde’s siblings were visibly hurt by this cold assessment, especially Reyna.

“That’s quite an insult, General Mors! As the senior knight representative, I can’t accept that! I’ll go out as the representative today!”

“Sit down, Reyna. You can’t.”

Mors’ words only further bruised her pride. As Reyna was about to transform into a boar with hair, Mors made a surprising statement.

“This duel must be won. But it should not be won fairly, and it would be even better to use dirty tricks. Then, we should humiliate the opponent and make them feel ashamed. Can you do that?”

Reyna was stunned.

Win at all costs? Setting aside the issue of whether it was possible or not, Reyna believed she could win. But the rest? How could she use dirty means against a fair opponent and humiliate them? Even if she managed to win by foul play, she would be obligated to praise her opponent’s courage and sincerity.

At that moment, Isaac spoke up.

“It means I should go.”

Mors nodded.

Elil’s knights couldn’t do it because it was a noble duel. But Isaac could, because he was a follower of the Codex of Light, willing to win by any means, even through foul play.

Isaac decided to explain further for the knights who still didn’t understand.

“By using dirty methods and humiliating the opponent, the enemy will not be demoralized but will become angry. If this happens repeatedly, they’ll clamor to come out and engage in open combat instead of staying in the fortress. Unless their commander is a fool, there’s no reason to abandon the fortress and clash with the enemy… but this is the Kingdom of Elil.”

Here, pride was everything, and people died because of it. Only Isaac could set aside his pride and fight in this country.

Moreover, Aldeon’s knights couldn’t do it, nor should they. Dirty fighting not only demoralized the enemy but also impacted the morale of the allied forces. However, Isaac was a foreigner and a heretic. It was a convenient excuse to avoid shaming the Aldeon army.

Isaac was amazed that Mors had come up with this strategy. It required a level of objectivity that only came with recognizing that Elil’s followers were obsessed with honor.

“It seems to contain some prejudicial views about those with different beliefs.”

Isaac protested slightly.

Are all Elil’s followers noble and honorable while the Codex of Light’s followers are sneaky and pragmatic? Isaac wasn’t even a true follower of the Codex of Light.

This strategy would eventually tarnish Isaac’s reputation.

Mors looked at Isaac and asked, “Can you do it?”

“Of course I can.”

And Isaac was pragmatic enough to be willing to be dirty if necessary. It was better for him to be criticized than to see precious troops die against the fortress walls.

However, Isaac knew a more practical solution.

“But I think there’s someone better suited for this than me.”

***

Isaac watched the great warrior standing before the Elion citadel.

Through a mix of nomination, threats, and pleas, Isaac had managed to enlist someone for the task. The great warrior, stepping forward, kept adjusting the cumbersome armor, but did not remove it, thanks to Isaac’s threats and pleas.

The great warrior neither shouted nor provoked at the front of Elion citadel, but everyone knew what he meant. It was a ritual often conducted before major battles.

Despite approaching to the range of arrows, there was no call to provoke or attack the great warrior. Isaac wasn’t worried; such an act would be dishonorable.

Georg’s knights soon realized that the great warrior was challenging them to a duel and grew tense.

Feeling the eyes of everyone on him, the great warrior cleared his throat. As Isaac had half-pleaded, half-threatened, it was time to “earn his keep.”

“Wolves of Georg! What are you doing holed up in that lair? Perhaps you’re too busy fornicating amongst yourselves?”

A resounding female voice sent ripples through the defenders of Elion citadel. The provocation was absurd and unmatched by the voice. The unexpected taunt stunned the soldiers, who then erupted in an uproar. But the great warrior nonchalantly hurled insults and slights at them.

Amid the numerous curses and noise, the great warrior’s voice, though singular, resonated clearly with everyone.

“What is this Georg clan? By the way, I hear they are an inbred family who don’t shy away from incest to maintain their bloodline. Is that true? Who’s Lianne Georg’s mate?”

“You pig! Open the gates!”

The provocation worked surprisingly easily. There wasn’t even a hint of anyone trying to stop it beyond the fortress walls. Soon, the gates opened, and an armored knight leaped out like a cannonball.

Seeing this, Isaac thought, “If the Elil folks weren’t on an island, they would have been extinct long ago.”

The thundering hooves rapidly approached the great warrior, and the knight, suppressing his anger, shouted, “I am Beowulf Georg, a Guardian of the Holy Land, son of Villon Georg, Troll Slayer, Banner Collector! Who are you?”

Isaac felt a sense of déjà vu at the long title.

At times, a single word could convey more meaning and impact than elaborate rhetoric, sending chills down one’s spine.

“Well, I am Yulihida.”

“Yulihida? I’ve never heard of that name…”

The knight, who introduced himself as Beowulf, looked at her, puzzled.

Suddenly, Yulihida spurred her horse forward. Beowulf, alarmed, raised his sword, but was met not by Yulihida’s blade, but by the massive hoof of her warhorse.

With a crash, the horse threw Beowulf to the ground and trampled him. Blood flowed from his crushed helmet. The startled horse bolted, dragging Beowulf by the foot caught in the stirrup. But it didn’t break through the encirclement, only circling the muddy ground before the citadel. All the while, Beowulf was helplessly dragged along.

Without drawing her sword, Yulihida had trampled her opponent. She then turned to face Elion citadel and, as if annoyed, threw her helmet to the ground.

“Next time, let the person coming out at least draw their sword. From now on, for each person I defeat, I’ll remove one piece of armor. I hope I won’t end up fighting naked.”

***

Half a day earlier.

“A duel? Why should I do something like that?”

“I’ve heard you have an assignment from the Sword of May. Perhaps you could help a little along the way?”

“Yes, that’s true. But why should that matter to me? I’m not the Sword of May, so it doesn’t concern me.”

“…I suppose that’s true. But you’re currently consuming Aldeon’s provisions, aren’t you? I’m a follower of the Codex of Light, so I can excuse you for receiving charity from me, but is it right to consume Elil’s provisions without compensation?”

Yulihida looked at Isaac while chewing on a soggy biscuit, contemplating whether his argument was reasonable.

Of course, the angelic Sword of May could unilaterally demand things from her followers. But for the followers of Elil? They had no reason to take care of her or donate to her.

So Yulihida declared, “In that case, I’ve rightfully plundered this from the followers of Elil.”

“…Instead of plundering, how about you just pay for your meals? Do you know about the concept of compensation? Like, money?”

“Of course, I know about money. I don’t have any, but I bet that noble over there does. Should I fetch it?”

Before Yulihida could knock out the passing noble and steal his purse, Isaac quickly interjected, “Instead, how about paying through a duel? You can knock down and humiliate the followers of Elil who betrayed the Codex of Light, and also repay your debt.”

In fact, the only reason Yulihida, a civilian, could freely enter the military camp and consume provisions was because of her status as “Isaac’s companion.” No one doubted her identity, but if they knew the truth, they’d be appalled.

So Isaac’s argument about paying for her meals seemed somewhat reasonable.

“It’s ridiculous to ask an angel to defeat mere knights, but…”

The Sword of May could destroy that fortress and ensure that nothing above the waists of those inside remained. But Isaac didn’t want to go that far.

If they did, surely, without exception, an angel would also appear on Elil’s side. And then a similar calamity would befall Aldeon’s army.

This was why, except for great wars, angels rarely intervened in earthly disputes. Especially in civil wars, where there was no guarantee an angel would side with them.

What Isaac needed was Yulihida’s “moderate skill” and anonymity. No one knew who Yulihida was, so she was perfect for being thrown into a fight devoid of honor or pride. It would be great if Yulihida defeated Lianne, but by then, the angels of Elil would likely notice their best knight being humiliated.

Yulihida sipped the poor-quality wine and chewed on grilled salmon the cook caught that day. After filling her stomach, she seemed to contemplate for a moment before speaking.

“I get it. You’re uncomfortable being loved but also don’t want to be hated, right?”

“Excuse me?”

“Fine, I understand. Your mission isn’t far off, so I’ll consider this as prepayment. Dealings with other faiths should be fair.”

Yulihida said, looking at the Holy Land Elion reflecting across the lake.

***

Yulihida had now defeated her fifth knight. A piece of armor fell to the ground. She was now wearing only a quilted garment under her armor. While it was clear she intended to humiliate Georg’s army with her actions, one might wonder if it was just an excuse because the armor was uncomfortable.

“She won’t really fight naked, will she?”

Isaac thought. He intended to stop her before she truly fought naked, but he figured that Georg’s army would either rush out or refuse the duel before that happened.

If they rushed out, it was as planned; if they refused, their morale would plummet.

While the Georg soldiers were retrieving the fallen knight, the gate opened, and another knight emerged. Though wearing a helmet, Isaac recognized who it was from the familiar armor.

“Lianne?”

The commander joining the duel? Yulihida adjusted her grip on the sword.

It would be great if Yulihida defeated Lianne, but the angels of Elil would likely notice what was happening to their top knight.

Just as Isaac was about to call Yulihida back, an unexpected sound echoed through the mist.

It was the sound of a cat meowing.

–TL Notes–

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